1. Field of Invention
The present utility model relates to a hopper opening and closing apparatus for an automatic tablet sorting and counting machine commonly referred to as "automatic tablet dispensers", and more specifically to an improved medicine hopper opening and closing apparatus for an automatic tablet dispenser which facilitates distribution of tablets dropped from a tablet dropping unit to packing paper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic tablet dispensers are generally employed in hospitals, pharmacies, and drugstores to automate the output and assembly of corresponding tablets when the prescription is input into a computer. They serve to dispense the per-dosage assembled tablets in individual single serving packages.
A conventional automatic tablet dispenser includes the following: a main computer for calculating an appropriate prescription on the basis of the type of medicine, intake method, daily intake frequency and intake duration depending upon each patient; a tablet dropping unit having a plurality of tablet cassettes and a drum for storing therein and releasing therefrom the tablets in correspondence to the prescription set up in the computer; and a packaging unit disposed below the tablet dropping unit which serves to package a quantity of tablets and release the same to an exterior of the automatic tablet dispenser.
The packaging unit is made up of: a discharge hopper for assembling the tablets being dropped from the tablet drop unit; a heater assembly for packaging the tablets being discharged through the discharge hopper; a printer for printing respective information on the packaging paper; and a release conveyer for externally discharging the medicine bags containing tablets.
The discharge hopper in the packing unit serves to temporarily store therein the tablets supplied from the tablet dropping unit and dispense a one-time intake dosage of tablets into a packaging paper having intake information printed thereon.
Conventionally, such a discharge hopper is formed in a conic shape without providing an additional opening/closing member, thereby simply serving to gather tablets from the tablet dropping unit and provide the same to a packaging paper.
In case there is provided such a discharge hopper without an opening/closing member, the time taken for tablets to reach from the tablet cassettes fixating the drum to the discharge hopper may vary due to different levels (heights) of the tablet cassettes, thereby deteriorating efficiency of tablet packaging. It also may incur some tablet loss during tablet packaging.
Since the tablet cassettes of the tablet dropping unit are provided in different levels (heights), there occurs time difference during tablet dropping. Accordingly, although the tablets are smoothly released from the tablets cassettes, a tablet loss during the packaging process prevents an accurate distribution of the tablets, thereby deteriorating reliability of the automatic tablet dispensing system.